Certification is a Team Effort

Already full of breathtaking thrills and gut-wrenching spills, the Rio Olympics have been anything but a disappointment. Team USA has had a strong showing, but has seen its fair share of ups-and-downs in the first few days of competition, from Mara Abbot’s heartbreaking cycling loss, to the complete domination of the self-named “Final Five.” Let’s not forget the medal-hogging swim team, with the ultimate highlight of the games being #PhelpsFace. This is only the beginning.

Many of these Olympic events are individual, but bring glory and honor to the team as a whole. Every interview question after a medal performance seems to be received by the athlete and directed back to their team, and the pride they feel competing for their country. Anyone who watches a medal ceremony can witness the tears of joy streaming down the faces of those listening to their country’s national anthem. It’s for the team, and teamwork is a necessity all around us.

A recent article at CBT Nuggets written by Karin Klinger gives some insight into how a team manager can be most effective. Goal-setting is key on any team, whether it’s an Olympic team, or a small IT team. Klinger states that effective goal setting comes down to the balance of low and high, making your goals realistic. Here are Klinger’s tips for managers on how to do that:

1. Realistic Training Timelines: Have an understanding of how much time is required to achieve training goals. For example, know how much time it will take a team member to complete a certification while still carrying a full work load.
2. Training that is Outcome Oriented: Be specific in your expectations, and all expectations should be measurable.
3. Relevant Training: Be strategic in choosing what content your team should be using. If you want to increase the teams networking capabilities, focus on Network+ or CCNA.
4. Regular Review of Expectations and Progress: If your team is anticipating a checkup, then they will be more likely to follow through with deadlines. TestOut courses make it easy to track progress.
5. Seek Commitment over Compliance: Help your team understand why their training is so important. Take time to recognize accomplishments of team members.

Teamwork is vital in our daily lives, and it can be crucial to success in your certification efforts. Don’t think of yourself as going it alone: Friends, family members, instructors, mentors and employers are all part of your certification team. Each of them can play an important role in ensuring your success. So use the lessons that can be learned from a successful team, like Team USA. Planned and monitored hard work will open doors for you and your team. Don’t lose sight of your goals.

About the Author — Jake Slater is the social media manager for GoCertify and a graduate of Brigham Young University. Jake's most important life goal is to get #SlaterFace to become a trending topic on Twitter.